Local Agenda 21 Initiatives in Progress

On May 13, 2003, Japan's Ministry of the Environment unveiled the results of a survey that targeted prefectures, the country's largest thirteen cities and other municipalities, regarding their progress in plans for the implementation of Local Agenda 21 activities.

Local Agenda 21 is a local version of Agenda 21, a set of activities that was adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit as an action plan to promote sustainable development. Agenda 21 encourages local authorities to enter into dialogue with citizens and private enterprises, and to draw up their own individual Local Agenda 21 plans.

As of 1 March 2003, 47 prefectures, 12 large cities and 318 municipalities had completed the formulation of such plans. This survey shows that municipalities have made some progress since the previous survey, which found that 184 had done so.

The survey also reveals that in many cases citizens and private enterprises had participated in the formulation process of Local Agenda 21 plans by attending meetings and replying to questionnaires, as well as sending in their opinions and attending hearings after the completion of the draft plans. It also suggests that in 94 percent of prefectures and all of the large cities, citizens and private companies has joined in the process of implementing Local Agenda 21 plans. Thirty-four prefectures and seven of the largest cities have schemes to monitor progress and utilize the findings to increase public awareness and revise the plans.

The compilation and implementation of Local Agenda 21 plans has brought some positive effects, the report says, such as increasing public awareness and attention about sustainable development, and developing partnerships as citizens become more involved with governmental initiatives.



Posted: 2003/06/30 09:49:36 AM
Japanese version